PVD Psychological Associates

What Is Postpartum OCD? After giving birth, you must adjust to an entirely new life and cope with a lot of related stress. Pregnancy and the postpartum period can be a trigger for OCD.  The most common thoughts that trouble women with postpartum OCD are:  Concerns about dirt and germs Making sure not to make a mistake The urge to check and recheck that the baby monitor is working Ensuring bottles are properly sterilized. These thoughts are intrusive and make caring for your child very difficult. You don’t have the intention to harm your child, but you’re very much afraid that you will do so accidentally.  The two most prominent symptoms of postpartum OCD are fear of injuring your baby and concern about germs. These concerns can be typical, temporary fears that stem from hormonal changes or from  having your first child . Once these thoughts start to interfere with your everyday functioning, they can be a sign of postpartum OCD.   https://pvdpsych.com/p...

  Depression is a type of mood disorder that affects 322 million people around the globe, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Although it affects each person differently, depression generally causes feelings of hopelessness and loss of interest in daily life. Some professionals and others call it “clinical depression” or “depressive disorder.” These are all different names for the same disorder. People who believe they or someone they love may suffer from depression should learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatments. Most importantly, everyone should know that depression is serious and that proper treatment can help . https://pvdpsych.com/about/

  Treatment Treatment decisions are based on how significantly generalized anxiety disorder is affecting your ability to function in your daily life. The two main treatments for generalized anxiety disorder are psychotherapy and medications. You may benefit most from a combination of the two. It may take some trial and error to discover which treatments work best for you. Psychotherapy Also known as talk therapy or psychological counseling, psychotherapy involves working with a therapist to reduce your anxiety symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective form of psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder. https://pvdpsych.com/therapy/

  Students seek support through Counseling Services for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, this might include requests for support with decision-making, navigating family and social relationships or major life transitions. PVD Psychological Associates staff will get to know you and work with you to find out what support options might work best for you, in your unique situation. Sometimes students are looking for information, or resources to support them. Other times, a single counseling session is enough to give students a new perspective and find a way forward. Sometimes a group therapy program or a brief course of individual counseling sessions would be most helpful. https://pvdpsych.com/student-mental-health/

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy that involves one or more mental health practitioners who deliver psychotherapy towards several individuals in each of the sessions. Group therapy can reduce wait times and give more people access to reliable mental healthcare. Some people can also attend individual therapy sessions in addition to group therapy, while others exclusively use group therapy. https://pvdpsych.com/therapy/

  At PVD Psychological Associates , we are in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield. We also accept all United Healthcare Student Resource Plans, including the Brown, RISD, JWU, and URI Student Insurance Plans. Additionally, some of our providers are in network with United Healthcare. If you do not have one of these insurances, we are happy to provide you with the necessary paperwork to seek reimbursement. We also understand that some individuals prefer to avoid dealing with insurance altogether for privacy reasons, and so are able to work on establishing a sliding scale fee as we do not want cost to be a barrier to treatment. https://pvdpsych.com/

  PVD Psychological Associates works with families from all walks of life. We offer child counseling, teen counseling, couples counseling, adult counseling and family counseling in Providence RI. https://pvdpsych.com/

  We’ve all heard relationships take work but you probably didn’t imagine it would take  this  much work when you first got together. Everything was so easy in the beginning. Now, you struggle to find time for each other in your busy lives. Emotional and sexual intimacy are distant memories and you’re lucky if you can get through the week without getting in a fight. As a result of these unrealistic societal expectations, too many couples go years without seeking professional help thinking they can just figure it out on their own. They develop toxic communication patterns, slowly slipping further and further away from the loving, compassionate, partner they found years ago and making each other miserable in the process. Almost half of those married in the U.S. get divorced. This is a broken system. But it does not have to be that way for you because you are here now, making the smart choice to seek help. https://pvdpsych.com/

  Individuals enter psychotherapy for a wide range of reasons. Some individuals come to PVD Psychological Associates with a specific goal in mind. A person might seek treatment for a particular mental health issue or diagnosis, such as addiction, depression, or anxiety. It could be that difficult issues have arisen that the person needs help sorting through and understanding, such as conflicts in relationships, troubles at work, or an overall inability to cope. An individual might be going through a major life transition such as a divorce, impending empty nest, a death in the family, or a recent medical diagnosis, and feel the need for a safe place to process these changes. Another might be ready to confront an issue they’ve been ignoring for years—perhaps they seek to heal from a personal trauma, or change a pattern of behavior that no longer serves them. Whatever the situation, the psychotherapist will help clarify the issues and provide an arena to work on them. https://pvdpsyc...

  Everything we do is designed to give you the best possible therapy experience. Our team is comprised of highly trained,  experienced therapists . We understand the importance of matching therapeutic style to the particular needs of each client, and are able to do this by intentionally creating a team of therapists with different specialties and approaches. We will work with you to understand why you are seeking therapy and collaboratively construct a treatment plan. https://pvdpsych.com/nicole-issa-psyd/

  All of our therapists  treat all diagnoses, each with specialized training in areas such as LGBTQIA concerns, eating disorders, college mental health, anxiety, panic attack, personality disorders, trauma, life transitions, and relationship difficulties. Everyone on our team is trained in evidence based therapies including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy. Some of us have specialized training in other therapies such as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and internal family systems therapy (IFS) https://pvdpsych.com/

Many children and teens have problems that affect how they feel, act, or learn. Therapy is a type of treatment for these problems. It is a way to get help for your child. In therapy, kids talk and learn how to work out their problems. Going to therapy helps them cope better, communicate better, and do better. Kids and teens need therapy when they have problems they can't cope with alone. Or they need help when problems affect how well they do, feel, or act. If things don't get better on their own, kids may need therapy so things can improve. Sometimes, entire families need support while trying to communicate, learn, and create boundaries. Therapists give praise and support as kids learn. They help kids believe in themselves and find their strengths. Therapy builds helpful thinking patterns and healthy behavioral habits. A therapist might meet with the child and parent together or meet with the child alone. It depends on the child's age. A therapist might also meet with a p...

  Around the world, people are under attack for who they love, how they dress, and ultimately for who they are. In too many countries, being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) means living with daily discrimination. This discrimination could be based on your sexual orientation (who you’re attracted to); gender identity (how you define yourself, irrespective of your biological sex), gender expression (how you express your gender through your clothing, hair or make-up), or sex characteristics (for example, your genitals, chromosomes, reproductive organs, or hormone levels.) For any support contact to  PVD Psychological Associates https://pvdpsych.com/lgbtqia-affirming-services/

  Couples Therapy Couples frequently seek treatment at PVD Psychological Associates to work on improving communication, conflict resolution, financial difficulties, and sexual issues. Depending on their goals for therapy, treatment will be more exploratory in nature and focused on understanding root causes of difficulties or will be more directive and draw from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Individual Therapy We also frequently work with individuals who may be struggling with a temporary relationship problem such as a break up or divorce or with recurrent relationship difficulties like problems communicating clearly with others, fears of intimacy, difficulty being authentic in relationships, and loneliness. The therapists at PVD Psychological Associates draw from psychodynamic therapy, CBT, and (DBT) to help individuals understand beliefs and behaviors that are perpetuating these difficulties and learn new ways to relate to others that ma...

  Thought disorder is a disorganized way of thinking that leads to abnormal ways of expressing language when speaking and writing. It’s one of the primary symptoms of schizophrenia, but it may be present in other mental disorders such as mania and depression. https://pvdpsych.com/therapy/

  What Is Sleep Therapy? Not sleeping well can leave you tired, irritable, and unable to concentrate. It can affect your performance at school or work, take a toll on your relationships, and affect your health and safety. Over 100 million people in the U.S. don’t get enough sleep, of which approximately 70 million have a sleep disorder. “When it comes to sleep issues, there is usually a question of origin: Is a sleep disorder causing mental health symptoms or is your mental health affecting your sleep? Some common disorders that implicate sleep include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, OCD, and PTSD”  https://pvdpsych.com/about/

  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, and works to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) Americans. In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City staged an uprising to resist the police harassment and persecution to which LGBT Americans were commonly subjected. This uprising marks the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBT Americans. https://pvdpsych.com/lgbtqia-affirming-services/

  Shame often stems from a traumatic experience . A person may fear that they deserved the trauma, experience guilt and shame about having survived, or feel ashamed of sexual or other abuse. When shame is due to trauma, it’s critical that therapy is trauma-sensitive, addressing the root cause of shame. https://pvdpsych.com/

  Self-esteem when used in a psychological context refers to an individual’s overarching sense of self-worth, confidence, or simply how they value themselves. We can help you regain or develop your self-esteem . We   can help you heal the most important relationship of all – the one you have with yourself.  Psychotherapy and Counseling sessions will be an integral for identifying your issues, your roadblocks, and implementing various methods to remove them. On going support and coaching will also be provided. https://pvdpsych.com/

  Personality disorders will usually become noticeable in adolescence and continue into adulthood. You may find it hard to build and maintain relationships and you may struggle to work with other people effectively. Living with a personality disorder can leave you fearing other people. This can often lead to social isolation and in turn, leave you feeling alienated from others. The form of treatment offered to you and how effective the treatment is will depend on both the severity of your condition and what is available in your local area. Generally, treatment will involve a course of psychological therapy . https://pvdpsych.com/

Emotional abuse  is a form of manipulation used to maintain control in a relationship. This type of abuse may include verbal attacks, humiliation, intimidation, bullying, and isolation. It can cause deep emotional harm that may last for years. Emotional abuse often goes hand in hand with psychological distress. A person committing abuse and a recipient of abuse are both likely to experience mental health concerns. A person who is emotionally abused often experiences mental health concerns. They may develop difficulties sleeping, eating and food issues, and substance abuse habits. Depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors are also common. Someone may even engage in self-harm or have thoughts of suicide.   https://pvdpsych.com/therapy/